​Briton dies of suspected Ebola in Macedonia, his hotel sealed off

A Briton with symptoms of Ebola has died in Macedonia, local authorities said. The hotel in Skopje where he was staying has been sealed off, while another Briton and hotel staff are being kept inside to prevent possible spreading of infection.

According to Macedonian
authorities the man came to Skopje from London on October 2 and
was taken to hospital on Thursday where he died several hours
later.

"We could not determine whether a citizen of England suffered
from the disease. It is possible to question haemorrhagic
fever,” Kostovska told MRT news, as she expects the results
from the autopsy in two days’ time.

“The patient had symptoms of mild fever, 37.4 C, which does
not correspond to Ebola, taking into account that the
characteristic temperature for people with Ebola is above 38.5 C.
However, rapid and severe clinical picture, vomiting, internal
bleeding, and sudden and rapid death, symptoms of Ebola, raised
suspicions,” Kostovska said.

The tests have been carried out to see if he had Ebola and have
been sent to Germany's Frankfurt to confirm the disease.

A Macedonian government spokesman told the BBC that a companion
of the late Briton told the local authorities that they had
travelled straight from the UK and had not visited countries
affected by Ebola

The ambulance crew and the hotel staff were isolated to prevent
spreading of infection, and the hotel building was also sealed
off.

A spokesman from the Macedonian Foreign Ministry said: "I can
confirm that a British person has died and he is in the state
hospital in Skopje,” The independent reports.

If the diagnosis is confirmed it will be the first case of a UK
citizen dying of Ebola.

“We are aware of reports and we are looking into them
urgently,” a Foreign Office spokesperson said.

Until recently, all
Ebola victims either lived or visited Africa. Spanish nurse
Teresa Romero was the first person in Europe to contract Ebola
outside Africa.